The present disclosure relates to electronic printer output devices, and more particularly, to a method and a system for purchasing and/or sharing one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profile settings.
An electronic printer output device (“printing device”) is generally capable of producing color and standard black-and-white tones to produce images. The printing device accepts color level specifications (typically for each of four colors including cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (“CMYK”)) as input and produces corresponding color areas on a printed page. However, the printing device may also be MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) compatible, bar code reading compatible, and/or optical character recognition compatible. The printing device may be compatible with any type of character recognition technology.
In addition, a printing device is designed to operate under certain conditions. More specifically, a printing device is calibrated to operate at an ideal set-point, for producing relatively consistent output when used within an environment having specific desired operating parameters such as, for example, a specific humidity, temperature, altitude, and dust count, etc. If any of the operating parameters deviates from the desired operating parameter, the printing device may drift away from the ideal set-point.
As a result, print engines may vary subsystem set-points as a function of media, image content, job mix, ambient (T/RH) conditions, etc. in order to maintain an ideal set-point for each parameter. One purpose of a subsystem is to operate within a range that accommodates the unique demands of a particular job while enabling improved image quality, reliability, and/or life. For instance, when running heavy weight media the fusing process speed may be slowed and/or the fusing temperature increased. Thus, many subsystems (e.g., fusing, development, feeding, decurling, finishing, etc.) could benefit from using one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profile settings for each individual job.
Print engines include specially-adapted memory devices, herein called “customer replaceable unit monitors,” or CRUMs as referred to by individuals associated with or doing business with Xerox®. The CRUMs are associated with one or more customer-replaceable modules within the apparatus. As is known in the copier or printer industry, consumers can buy or lease individual modules as needed, and typically replace the modules without any special training. The overall purpose of each CRUM is to retain information for the particular module about how that module is being used within a machine. Each CRUM can be considered a small “notepad” on which certain key data is entered and retained, and also periodically updated. Different types of data can be stored in a CRUM, such as, set point data used in conjunction with one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profile settings. The one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profiles may be included in a CRUM. However, the one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profiles may be compatible with machines that do not include a CRUM. The one or more pre-developed or pre-existing printer profiles may co-exist and function with any machine or device having any type of a plurality of memory devices.
The CRUM can have loaded at certain predetermined locations in the memory therein, numbers or other codes which directly relate to specific operating requirements of various components within one or more modules. Any or all of the various components to be biased may be biased according to a specific function which may relate to one or more external variables such as, for example, temperature, humidity, altitude, and current toner level in the development unit. Thus, there can be stored at predetermined locations within the memory of a CRUM “set point codes” (either absolute numbers, or special codes which relate to absolute numbers) of how much each individual component within the one or more modules should be biased by the machine. Alternately, the set point codes could indicate one of a selectable set of functions, such as look-up tables, which represent functions by which the desired bias of different components should be calculated. In addition, different sets of set points can be stored in different predetermined locations in memory, and the machine can access those addresses in memory depending on whether the machine is rated at one speed or capability or the other. In this way, a module of a single basic design can be installed and function in a compatible manner in machines rated at different speeds.
In addition, there exists a wide and ever expanding range of desired media to be used in today's high quality/high volume printers. Fusing and xerographic settings can vary greatly depending on whether the substrate is tissue paper or cardboard. Presently, most machines categorize media into large scale buckets where minimum quality is guaranteed but may be far from that desired. Adjusting parameter values could be described as “optimizing,” which typically means to improve image quality, reliability and/or component life, or make custom adjustments of images in specific media (e.g., gloss). Variables that could be adjusted in the fuser may include temperature, process speed, roll loading, oil rates, stripping, cleaning, altitude, etc.
Currently, an automated parameter process has not been established. Moreover, a manual parameter process has also not been established since it could take hours/days to evaluate prints and even longer to establish life data. The present disclosure is not intended to specify the method by which the desirable adjustment of parameters is found but rather to promote the availability of it by allowing customers to share and/or purchase pre-existing or pre-developed printer profile settings for their intended applications.
Namely, the present disclosure is intended to overcome the drawbacks of other methods by exploiting the benefits of searching a database and sharing one or more pre-developed printer profile settings. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for searching, purchasing and/or sharing one or more pre-existing or pre-developed printer profile settings.